In Janet Goodwin’s English as a second language course for
international teaching assistants, one of the first assignments for
her students is to master the elusive art of small talk.
International TAs (ITAs) must begin a discussion section using
small-talk strategies outlined in the class handbook.
In one presentation, an ITA enters the room, spreads out his
notebooks and pens on the desk and asks nervously, “How was
your weekend?” He quickly corrects his pronunciation and asks
again, “How was your weekend?”
Part of Goodwin’s class is designed to help ITAs learn the
correct pronunciation of English words.
After a few responses, the ITA shows the class his new iPod, one
example of a technique to allow him to create a talking point with
students and develop rapport, Goodwin said.
Learning the skills to create small talk in English is only one
of the obstacles faced by ITAs, who come to UCLA to earn doctoral
degrees. These obstacles include leaving family and friends,
obtaining a U.S. Social Security number and learning to navigate
traffic on the 405 Freeway.
Shiva Navab, a graduate student in electrical engineering, said
the hardest aspects of coming to the U.S. from Iran were leaving
her family and learning to talk to people in English.
“It was difficult for me to leave my family because I am
very close to them,” she said.
Like all other international graduate students, Navab was
required to take the Test of Oral Proficiency before she could
being teaching. If international graduate students do not pass this
test at the highest of three levels, they must take an ESL
course.
Though she studied English extensively in college, Navab said
she was not prepared to teach students in English and needed to
take an ESL course.
“There is a big difference between studying English and
talking to people in everyday situations,” Navab said.
Navab said that after taking the first required ESL course, she
continued to take the courses because they helped her teaching and
gave her communication skills she needed in her personal life as
well.
Guillaume Calafat, a history graduate student, came to UCLA from
France this September as part of an exchange program between the
university he attends in his home country and UCLA.
Calafat will stay at UCLA for one year to complete his doctorate
degree and teach French language courses as a lecturer, meaning
that he teaches classes without a faculty adviser.
In the undergraduate French class he leads, Calafat teaches
French culture in addition to the language itself. He covers the
culture of young people, families, employment and politics, he
said.
“It’s easy for me to do a lot of improvisation about
these topics because I have lived in France,” Calafat said.
“Very often (students) will ask me questions about my
personal life.”
One of Calafat’s students, Michelle Lee, said
Calafat’s personal experience in France has helped her figure
out where she wants to study abroad.
Lee decided to study in Bordeaux, France, next spring, after
asking Calafat for advice about which program to choose based on
the ambience of different cities.
“It’s very helpful to have someone who has an inside
opinion about France,” said Lee, a second-year French and
linguistics student.